Bottle-destroying stopper.



No; 2- PATENTED MAR.;31-, 190's;

. "RBIROHBAUER.

BOTTLE DE'STROYING STOPPER.

- APPLICATION nun JULY 24, 1902.

Y0 MODEL.

ethane/13y.

1n: nonlm Pcmns cov. mom-uma. wunms'ro. n, c.

llNiTED STATES,

FERDINAND BIRCHBAUER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

BOTTLE-DESTRQYING STOPPER.

SPECIFICATION forniing part of Letters Patent No; 723,812, dated March 31, 1903.

Serial No. 116,862. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FERDINAND BIRCH- BAUER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain Improvements in Bottle-Destroying Stoppers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is-an improvement in bottles, and relates more especially to that class in which the sealed contents cannot be removed without first destroying the bottle or breaking off a part of same.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a bottle for dispensinghigh-grade liquors, &c., and so that the original contents cannot be removed without destroying the bottle sufficiently to prevent the same from being refilled with a spurious article and sold as the goods of the original proprietor.

The invention contemplates the provision of a bottle and stopper of such construction that after the bottle is filled and the stopper. inserted the contents cannot be removed without first breaking off a part of the mouth of the bottle to release the cork, the locking device for the cork including means for prying off the said breakable part of the mouth and for pulling the cork.

With the foregoing objects in view the invention consists in the combination, with a bottle the mouth of which is provided with op-' posite slots, of a cork-carrier having a part which enters the slots and by which a part of the mouth of the bottle is broken ofi, together with means for locking the cork-carrier in engagement with the breakable part of the mouth of the bottle.

The invention further consists in the particular construction of the bottle and corkcarrier, all as hereinafter fully described, and more specifically set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bottle and stopper constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional View. Fig. 3 is'a detail view of the cork-carrier or stopper device. Q

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in the several views of the drawings.

In carrying out my invention the upper end or month a of the bottle A is preferably enlarged or thickened and provided at opposite sides with vertical slots ct, which extend the full length of the thickened portion or mouth and divide the mouth into two parts I) and b, one being somewhat smaller than the other. The smaller portion 1) of the mouth is intended to be broken off, and it is therefore with this part that the cork-carrier engages. To this end the part b of the mouth is provided in ternally with a notch biand with said notch a spring-catch on the cork-carrier (hereinafter described) engages. The neck of the bottle is slightly tapered, as is usual, so that the cork may be fitted tightly in the same.

The cork-carrier 0 consists of a bar,c,having upper and lower disks 0 and 0, respectively, and below the lower disk 0 is provided with a screw 0 for engagement with the cork 8. When the corkis applied, itbears against the disk 0 so that the required pressure may be exerted on said cork when insertingit in the bottle. The upper disk is of such relative size as to fit snugly in the upper end or mouth of the bottle. To this corkcarrier is attached a spring-catch d, which is adapted to spring into engagement with the notch b hereinbefore referred to, and hold the cork-carrier and cork firmly and. securely in the neck of the bottle and so that the same cannot be removed without first breaking off the part with which the said catch engages. It will, be here understood, however, that though I have shown a spring-catch engaging a notch in the part b any suitable locking device between the cork-carrier and said part b may be employed whereby the cork-carrier is held in positive engagement with the breakable part of the bottle.

In addition to the catch d the cork-carrier is provided with a pivoted lever 9, having flat portions, which enter the slots a, and a handle terminating in a grasping portion 6, the latter being curved, so as to lie closely against the neck of the bottle when the parts are in their normal position. The lever is pivoted in a recess in the cork-carrier and is held in either of its vertical positions by means of spring members f f, bearing against the flat sides thereof. spring members are the terminal portions of the catch d. It will be understood, however, that it is not necessary that the lever be pro- In the present instance these I vided with the spring members for holdingit in any position, as it will be held downward, as in Fig. 1, by the engagement of the flat sides with the sides of the slots at.

, The operation of openinga bottle provided with my improved stopper will be readily understood, for it is only necessary to swing the handle end of the lever outward, which will break oif the part Z) of the mouth of the bottle, releasing the catch of the cork-carrier, and then by swinging said lever up, as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 1, it may be used as the means for pulling the cork. The operation of opening the bottle can be quickly and conveniently accomplished, for after the cork-carrier is released it becomes a corkpuller.

The devices by which the cork is securely locked in the neck of the bottle are all located above the cork, and therefore at no time do they come in contact with the contents of the bottle, and though ordinarily there is a clean break at the juncture of the part b with the neck of the bottle the cork will prevent any particles entering the bottle in case the part should not break off properly, and such particles will then be removed by the cork. Only a small part of the mouth is removed, and sufficient remains to provide a spout for pouring out the contents.

The cork-carrier or lock is extremely simple, consisting of only three parts, and can be made and sold at very small expense, and as this cork-carrier is not destroyed or injured in any way in opening a bottle provided with same it can be used over and over again; but inasmuch as it requires a bottle of special construction could not be used by unauthorized parties--in other words,the bottle is destroyed to show that it has been opened, while the cork-carrier is uninjured.

The device is especially adapted for bottles which contain high-grade liquors, so as to seal the contents and prevent same from being removed and bottle refilled without destroying the bottle, and the fact that the bottle was destroyed would be plain evidence that it had been opened. This device will therefore protect both the proprietor of a highgrade liquor and his customers.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. The'combination, of a bottle the mouth of which is provided with slots forming a breakable portion, a cork-carrier, and looking means between the cork carrier and mouth of the bottle.

2. The combination with a bottle having slots to provide a breakable portion, of a cork-carrier, and locking means between the cork-carrier and said breakable portion of the bottle.

3. The combination with a bottle having slots providing a breakable portion, of a corkcarrier, locking means between the cork-carrier and said breakable portion, and means for withdrawing the cork-carrier.

4. The combination with a bottle having slots providing a breakable portion, of a corkcarrier, locking means between the cork-carrier and said breakable portion, and means carried by the cork-carrier for prying off the aforesaid breakable portion of the bottle.

5. The combination with a bottle having slots providing a breakable portion, of a corkcarrier, locking means between the cork-carrier and said breakable portion, and a bar or lever on the cork carrier and extending through the slots and adapted to remove the breakable portion of the bottle.

6. The combination with a bottle having slots providinga breakable portion, of a corkcarrier, locking means between the cork-carrier and breakable portion, and a bar or lever pivoted to the cork-carrier and extending through the slots and beyond the bottle provided with a handle.

7. The combination with a bottle having slots providinga breakable portion, of a corkcarrier consisting of a bar having upper and lower disks and a screw below the lower disk, said screw being adapted to receive the cork, a catch on the bar adapted to engage the breakable portion of the bottle, a lever pivoted to the bar and having an extended end forming a handle, and spring members bearing against the bar or lever, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FERDINAND BIROHBAUER.

WVitnesses:

WILLIAM H. BERRY, MURRAY HANSON. 

